Ti forks are very expensive to make and heavier than carbon fiber. It's the same reason why you don't see titanium drop handlebars. I'm sure there are some ti forks out there, but it is a purely economic reason why they are a rarity. Why pay more for something heavier which ultimately MIGHT provide marginal performance benefits? Just a thought.

edit: Titanium is not renowned for its stiffness, something paramount in a good fork design.

richwagmn wrote:Was directed over to Moots from cyclingnews for their RSL frameset.

Frame looks great (artisan like welds) and all that but I couldn't help but notice a carbon fork.

So if Ti provides the ultimate ride quality (like all Ti mfgs claim), why not use it for the fork too?

Or DOES carbon do something Ti can't?

It's light. Lighter than alloys. Consumers like carbon stuff.Consumers at the Moots level take on the gram counting behavior for no reason I could ever comprehend. Carbon forks makes their product fit better in the market.

DirtyWorks wrote:It's light. Lighter than alloys. Consumers like carbon stuff.Consumers at the Moots level take on the gram counting behavior for no reason I could ever comprehend. Carbon forks makes their product fit better in the market.

Nope. People who buy ti are not looking for the world's lightest bike.

Titanium is not very suitable for road forks because large diameter fork blades would be required to reduce flex.

Black Sheep makes a titanium rigid fork for MTBs. They also make a ti fork for CX. The flex gives a little cush.

EDIT: Found a pic of a Black Sheep road fork. It's beefalicious.

"Listen, my son. Trust no one! You can count on no one but yourself. Improve your skills, son. Harden your body. Become a number one man. Do not ever let anyone beat you!" -- Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken

I'm glad I stuck around this forum long enough and rummaged through enough historical posts to decide that I didn't want to bother with a carbon bike. I think my original post here was regarding the quality of no name carbon on ebay. Since then I've done a complete 180. Zero interest in carbon frames (although there are a few beautiful ones out there, but not at bargain prices). I'm sure if I was racer or whatever it would (rightly) matter, but I ain't and it doesn't.

That ti fork is pretty fugly. like mentioned above, it looks too burly for the frame.

ElChingon wrote:Road bike? More like Touring bike. Definitely not what the Q was about.

A road fork would look the same. Titanium is flexy if the tubing isn't large. Increasing the required material would make for an absurdly expensive fork. As I said, the reason you don't see titanium drop handlebars is the same reason you don't see titanium forks, simple economics. Other materials perform better at a fraction of the cost.

Parera wrote:A road fork would look the same. Titanium is flexy if the tubing isn't large. Increasing the required material would make for an absurdly expensive fork. As I said, the reason you don't see titanium drop handlebars is the same reason you don't see titanium forks, simple economics. Other materials perform better at a fraction of the cost.

So might as well go with a carbon frame, I get ya!

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